Wilderness.org - Senator Coburnhttp://wilderness.org/taxonomy/term/1755
enCongress Gets an Early Start to a Banner Year for Wildernesshttp://wilderness.org/press-release/congress-gets-early-start-banner-year-wilderness
<div class="field-group-format group_meta field-group-div group-meta speed-fast effect-none"><div class="field field-name-field-release-date field-type-datetime field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2009-01-07T00:00:00-05:00">Jan 7, 2009</span></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p>Congress took an important first step today towards making 2009 one of the most important years for wilderness designation in nearly two decades.</p>
<p>Senator Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., today introduced the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009, S. 22, which includes 16 separate wilderness bills totaling more than two million acres across nine states. Once passed, this will be the largest expansion of the National Wilderness Preservation System since 1994.</p>
<p>The legislation would protect such American treasures as Oregon&rsquo;s iconic Mt. Hood, California&rsquo;s scenic Sierra Nevada, and ecologically significant parts of West Virginia. New wilderness would be designated in California, Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Michigan, West Virginia, and Virginia.</p>
<p>Get a <a href="key-legislation-omnibus-public-lands-management-act-2009">list of key legislation in the omnibus package here</a>.</p>
<p>A similar lands act was blocked at the end of 2008 and the Senate adjourned without taking up the measure. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has committed early action on the bill this year, and the Senate could bring the bill to a vote as early as next week. Once the Senate acts, the House is expected to follow suit, and the measure could head to the President&rsquo;s desk this month. <br />Unfortunately, the lands bill still contains one provision opposed by TWS that would allow a road to be built through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and wilderness area in Alaska. On balance, however, the bill represents huge gains for conservation and wilderness and we are working hard to see it passed.</p>
<p>Passing the omnibus lands would be a great start for wilderness in the 111th Congress&mdash;but there is much more to do. In addition to the wilderness bills already proposed in omnibus legislation, nearly two dozen other wilderness campaigns may be ready for legislation in 2009 or 2010. These efforts could add another million acres of new wilderness, making the 111th Congress one of the most productive for new wilderness designations in decades</p>
<p><a href="key-legislation-omnibus-public-lands-management-act-2009">Click here for a list of places protected under the act. <br /></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
</div></div></div>Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:27:34 +0000101053 at http://wilderness.orghttp://wilderness.org/press-release/congress-gets-early-start-banner-year-wilderness#commentsGood News from Washington, DC on the Wilderness Fronthttp://wilderness.org/blog/good-news-washington-dc-wilderness-front
<div class="field-group-format group_meta field-group-div group-meta speed-fast effect-none"><div class="field field-name-post-date field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Jan 7, 2009</div></div></div></div><div class="field-group-format group_image field-group-div group-image speed-fast effect-none"><div class="field field-name-field-content-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://wilderness.org/sites/default/files/styles/blog_full/public/legacy/profiler/BridalveilFalls-Pictured-Rocks-Ntl-Lakeshore-NPS.jpg?itok=rXUSl3i7" alt="" title="Bridalveil Falls, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan. Courtesy NPS." /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-video field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"></div></div><div class="field field-name-media-description field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>Bridalveil Falls, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan. Courtesy NPS.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-credit field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p>Congress took an important step on Jan. 11 toward making 2009 a banner year for wilderness designation.</p>
<p>During a rare Sunday session, the Senate voted overwhelmingly to move forward with a package of more than 160 public lands, water, and resources bills.</p>
<p>The omnibus lands act would provide the greatest expansion of the National Wilderness Preservation System in 15 years, and includes 16 Wilderness bills from nine states. These bills would protect such emblematic treasures as California&rsquo;s Sierra Nevada mountain range, Oregon&rsquo;s Mt. Hood, Colorado&rsquo;s Rocky Mountain National Park, and parts of the Jefferson National Forest in Virginia.</p>
<p>As a package, these bills include provisions that would:</p>
<ul>
<li>Designate more than 2 million acres of wilderness in California, Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Michigan, Virginia, and West Virginia;</li>
<li>Codify the National Landscape Conservation System, which currently protects 26 million acres of natural treasures managed by the Bureau of Land Management, including such American icons as the California coastline, and the Grand Canyon-Parashant and Sonoran Desert national monuments;</li>
<li>Protect 1.2 million acres of the scenic Wyoming Range in western Wyoming from oil and gas development;</li>
<li>Protect free-flowing rivers in California, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Arizona, Utah, and Massachusetts as Wild and Scenic Rivers; and</li>
<li>Designate numerous new National Scenic Trails, Natural Historic Sites, and, National Heritage Areas across the United States.</li>
</ul>
<p>Unfortunately, the package also includes a provision that is incompatible with the bill&rsquo;s conservation measures. The Izembek provision could result in removal of 200 acres of wilderness in Alaska to build a harmful and unnecessary road. The proposed road would adversely affect an internationally significant wetlands complex that is critically important habitat for hundreds of thousands of migrating birds. The Wilderness Society has worked hard to strip this provision from the package.</p>
<p>Although we are disappointed to see the Izembek provision moving forward, the package of bills, as a whole, is a great step forward for wilderness. Our hope is that the Senate will pass the package this week and that it will then quickly move through the House and to the president&rsquo;s desk.</p>
<p>The Wilderness Society&rsquo;s legislative specialists were on the Hill Sunday to encourage and thank our congressional champions, and we will continue to work with the Senate and House to promote its speedy passage. Check back frequently or subscribe to our <a href="../rss">RSS feed</a> for updates on the bill&rsquo;s progress.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: smaller;">photo:</span></strong><span style="font-size: smaller;"> Bridalveil Falls, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan. Courtesy NPS.</span></p>
</div></div></div>Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:47:25 +0000101054 at http://wilderness.orghttp://wilderness.org/blog/good-news-washington-dc-wilderness-front#commentsWilderness History in the Making? Congress Postpones Answer ‘Til Next Yearhttp://wilderness.org/blog/wilderness-history-making-congress-postpones-answer-%E2%80%98til-next-year
<div class="field-group-format group_meta field-group-div group-meta speed-fast effect-none"><div class="field field-name-post-date field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Dec 11, 2008</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/bios/staff/paul-spitler">Paul Spitler</a></div></div></div></div><div class="field-group-format group_image field-group-div group-image speed-fast effect-none"><div class="field field-name-field-video field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p>In October, you heard us talking a great deal about a historic piece of conservation legislation that was poised for passage.</p>
<p>The Omnibus Public Lands Management Act included 15 separate wilderness bills totaling nearly two million acres across eight states. This would have been the largest expansion of the National Wilderness Preservation System in nearly 15 years.</p>
<p>However, the legislation never made it to the floor during the 110th Congress.</p>
<p>While the passage of this important act would have been a wonderful parting gift from Congress, there&rsquo;s still great hope for its success in the next Congress.</p>
<p>In fact, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has committed to take up the bill early in 2009 at the start of the 111th Congress.</p>
<p>Sen. Reid postponed this fall&rsquo;s vote after Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., vowed to use parliamentary tactics to hold up the bill, including demanding that the more than 1,000-page bill be read in full and threatening a filibuster.</p>
<p>In fact, the 111th Congress will likely be one of the most productive for new wilderness designations in decades.</p>
<p>In addition to the wilderness bills already proposed in omnibus legislation, nearly two dozen other wilderness campaigns may be ready for legislation in 2009 or 2010.</p>
<p>With a Congress that is increasingly receptive to new environmental protection and a supportive presidential administration, it&rsquo;s possible we could well be entering a wilderness revival not seen since the 1980s.</p>
<p>If you&rsquo;ve written letters on behalf of this campaign, be proud of all you&rsquo;ve done. We&rsquo;ve made great strides towards passage of this legislation. Stay involved and get regular updates on this issue by signing up for <a href="http://action.wilderness.org/wilderness/join.html">WildAlerts</a> and our <a href="http://wilderness.org/rss">RSS subscription</a>.</p>
</div></div></div>Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:58:50 +0000100931 at http://wilderness.orghttp://wilderness.org/blog/wilderness-history-making-congress-postpones-answer-%E2%80%98til-next-year#comments